Who makes the perfect softshell ski pants??

The price makes sense when compared to the Arc Rush ($350), Patagonia Upstride ($329), and Norrona more flex bib ($329). Like the packs, these pants have every feature I want, and none I don't need. If the TourTech was full softshell and $350 I'd pull the trigger. Are there any other softshell pants that's a "bib" like these? I'm in the same boat as others; one pair of hard shells for storm days, one pair of softshells for every other day. I need to replace a pair of Cirques before they became yoga pants.

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+1 it's awesome that you are offering inseam lengths. This alone shows dedication to the core user group. I wish more brands would offer long/tall inseam lengths.

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Originally Posted by GroupTrout

Are there any other softshell pants that's a "bib" like these?

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Strafe Cham comes to mind. At full price it's more expensive than the Raide option. Like most brands they're typically heavily discounted in the springtime.

The Raide option looks well thought out per usual. Unlike most here, I'm not unhappy with the existing offerings so it's not a must have for me.

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Originally Posted by concierge

Thanks guys! Really happy hear you like them.

The pant does have a zipper in the back at the bottom and a second snap to tighten the hem circumference 1.5”.

Glad you appreciate the inseam lengths. It was super hard to do 3 inseams lengths as a business this early, but fit significantly contributes to performance and it’s the right thing to do.

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Oh, I had missed the cuff zipper.

Unfortunately I won’t be getting any, since I wear 36” inseam pants, but this will be great for shorter people.

Strafe cham is a hardshell. Very lightweight and breathable but still a hardshell. I've used a pair for my primary touring pants for the past two seasons and have been overall pleased with them but they are very fragile and mine have several holes and long cuts, currently held together with some sewing and lots of tenacious tape. I was thinking of getting a new pair but Strafe says they're not making them for the foreseeable future as they weren't able to come up with a sufficiently breathable and waterproof material that was PFAS free. I purchased a pair of the Raide bibs and look forward to using them this winter but will still break out the Strafe chams for the really really wet days. FWIW I tried full softshell pants and while my upper legs were good my lower legs (maybe mid calf down) would consistently get soaked anytime I had to break trail and my knees anytime I would bootpack. So the Raide iteration seems perfect for most of my uses.

Just received Arcteryx Rush's. Features and materials wise they seem about perfect for me. I hate wearing a belt, their integrated belt thing seems like it'll work well, there's no belt loops tho if that matters to you.

They fit me ok. I'm 5'10 175, 31 ish inch waist and got smalls. The waist is slightly loose without snugging down the belt. The thighs and seat are damn near form fitting though. They seem to move well and I'll look real good striding up the skintrack, so I'll keep em but wtf is up with touring pant sizing? How many people who ski enough to seek out high end specifically featured pants have big waists and chicken legs? Almost all my friends have the same fit issues. It's not just Arcteryx, these are actually the closest to my ideal fit I've had for a while, just really annoying.

The old Strafe Cham is an amazing material. I have had the jacket and recently picked up NOS pants from the Level 9 site for $100, they seem to fit very well and move more like a softshell, looks like they still have a few Larges in stock

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Originally Posted by rpearce1475

Strafe cham is a hardshell.

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Whoops. I see Schoeller and I assume softshell or breathability on par with softshell. Neoshell or similar works for me in the winter. Older Strafe Recon and BD Alpine Start during spring.

I had similar fit issues with last year's Strafe recon pants. I'm 5'11", 195 lbs, fairly athletic build. Got a size L based on sizing on their website and my size L cham bibs have fit me great. The recons were a quite trim fit from upper thigh down but the waist was super baggy, I ran the belt all the way tight and they were still loose on the waist. I ended up selling them off

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Originally Posted by claymond

Just received Arcteryx Rush's. Features and materials wise they seem about perfect for me. I hate wearing a belt, their integrated belt thing seems like it'll work well, there's no belt loops tho if that matters to you.

They fit me ok. I'm 5'10 175, 31 ish inch waist and got smalls. The waist is slightly loose without snugging down the belt. The thighs and seat are damn near form fitting though. They seem to move well and I'll look real good striding up the skintrack, so I'll keep em but wtf is up with touring pant sizing? How many people who ski enough to seek out high end specifically featured pants have big waists and chicken legs? Almost all my friends have the same fit issues. It's not just Arcteryx, these are actually the closest to my ideal fit I've had for a while, just really annoying.

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I don't know, 5'10" and 175 seems solidly into medium territory. I'm an inch taller and same weight and I haven't considered a size small for anything since the 9th grade.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I don't know, 5'10" and 175 seems solidly into medium territory. I'm an inch taller and same weight and I haven't considered a size small for anything since the 9th grade.

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I agree I have been in medium for a long time. Based on the fit chart, my waist size puts me at a small, which is still a little loose, and I doubt I could cinch the medium waist down enough to stay up. That's my complaint. Pants where the waist size to leg size ratio is way off. It's been an issue with every pant I've bought or tried on in the past few years.

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Originally Posted by claymond

I agree I have been in medium for a long time. Based on the fit chart, my waist size puts me at a small, which is still a little loose, and I doubt I could cinch the medium waist down enough to stay up. That's my complaint. Pants where the waist size to leg size ratio is way off. It's been an issue with every pant I've bought or tried on in the past few years.

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Ah yeah, makes sense. And probably why I've been liking the low bib/suspenders pants.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I don't know, 5'10" and 175 seems solidly into medium territory. I'm an inch taller and same weight and I haven't considered a size small for anything since the 9th grade.

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I'm 5'11" and range from 165-180 and small is definitely the correct size for Arc'teryx Gamma SK and Rush. And as has been mentioned, the waist is still too big on size smalls. Not sure what they think the body type is on the people using these things.

EDIT: I can't read - not a softshell.

good deal on these eddie bauer soft shell bibs. Anyone got any experience in their line (I admittedly haven't really read this thread)?

This is a new style, won't ship until 12/6...

https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/3883297...=1&color=Black

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Originally Posted by NBABUCKS1

good deal on these eddie bauer soft shell bibs. Anyone got any experience in their line (I admittedly haven't really read this thread)?

This is a new style, won't ship until 12/6...

https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/3883297...=1&color=Black

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according to their website, that’s a hardshell pant. (“10k/10k waterproof /breathability rating)

I picked up the Norrona more flex 1 bibs and they're nice, but I'm returning them because the elastic on the sides grab and push my shirt up every time I move in any direction.

Either going to get the Arc'teryx Rush, maybe the OR Cirque III (depends how they fit - do these have the same huge-waist issue as others?) or something from Ortovox, but I can't figure out the differences between the 8 different softshell pants and there's nowhere to try them on or look at them.

For what it’s worth the norrona lyngen flex 1 softshell pants I bought in 2023 don’t have any elastic in the waistband

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Originally Posted by bean

I picked up the Norrona more flex 1 bibs and they're nice, but I'm returning them because the elastic on the sides grab and push my shirt up every time I move in any direction.

Either going to get the Arc'teryx Rush, maybe the OR Cirque III (depends how they fit - do these have the same huge-waist issue as others?) or something from Ortovox, but I can't figure out the differences between the 8 different softshell pants and there's nowhere to try them on or look at them.

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I got my Rush XL from Ogden outlet and good for 36/38 waist and 33 inseam


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Anyone been out on the Raide bibs this winter? How do they breathe compared ro a full soft shell?

Looking to replace my touring bibs that have started to fall apart, but it seems like most bibs these days cover the chest too which I'm not into. I'm CA so it's generally pretty warm and I want something that breathes and vents well (I have some heavier resort bibs if I really feel like touring in a rain storm).

Anyone else hate the beacon pocket on the thigh? I got used to bibs with a kangaroo pouch on the torso, and it's so much nicer carrying anything heavy or bulky there as opposed to the thigh. Anything hard or bulky in the thigh pockets moves around and pushes against the leg with every stride.
I've found a lot of hardshells with large pockets on the bib portion, but not many softshells.

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Originally Posted by shitskier

Anyone else hate the beacon pocket on the thigh? I got used to bibs with a kangaroo pouch on the torso, and it's so much nicer carrying anything heavy or bulky there as opposed to the thigh. Anything hard or bulky in the thigh pockets moves around and pushes against the leg with every stride.
I've found a lot of hardshells with large pockets on the bib portion, but not many softshells.

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I don’t know if it’s a slightly different location, the softshell vs hardshell material, or both, but I don’t notice my beacon at all in the thigh pocket of my Dynafit (Radical) softshell pants, compared to my Rush bibs. Having a small beacon, such as the new Barryvox also seems to help. Having my beacon on my thigh also provides separation from my phone, carried in my chest pocket.

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Originally Posted by shitskier

Anyone else hate the beacon pocket on the thigh? I got used to bibs with a kangaroo pouch on the torso, and it's so much nicer carrying anything heavy or bulky there as opposed to the thigh. Anything hard or bulky in the thigh pockets moves around and pushes against the leg with every stride. I've found a lot of hardshells with large pockets on the bib portion, but not many softshells.

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I just picked up a pair of OR Skytour Ascentshell bibs and the beacon pocket is on the chest. TBH, I prefer the beacon pocket on the thigh which is where it is on my hardshell bibs. I'm strongly considering selling the Skytour bibs becuase of it. Different strokes, as they say. Subscribed to this thread specifically for recommendations on softshell bibs with a thigh beacon pocket.

^^^ I have Flylow Smythe bibs and I don’t like the beacon pocket on the bib. It ends up resting high on my stomach. I prefer the beacon pocket to be on the upper leg, like in the hand pocket area of a pair of jeans. Too low on the thigh and you lift it with every step.

Bumping this... anyone try the Rab Tour Pant? Looks damn simple but with most of what I want outside of inside thigh vents at a half decent price to.

https://rab.equipment/us/mens-tour-pants